Dragon chicken is a delicious Indo-Chinese appetizer. Crispy chicken strips and bell peppers are tossed in a spicy sauce with crunchy cashews. Here’s an easy, step-by-step recipe with a quick video tutorial that shows you how to make this restaurant-worthy dish at home!
There was this restaurant in my late grandma’s neighborhood from where we always ordered dragon chicken. Mom just happened to order it one day after randomly selecting it from their menu. It was a good find, something different from the regular sweet and sour or Manchurian or schezwan dishes.
Frankly, this dish has tasted different at the many places I’ve tried it. But the restaurant where we tried it first still has my heart. It was the best! So I’ve tried to replicate it at home trying to remember the flavors. And this version is as close to the one I’ve always enjoyed!
Table of Contents
What is dragon chicken?
Dragon chicken is a flavor-packed Indian Chinese dish. It has nothing to do with the dragon-legged chicken also known as dong tao, a rare breed of chicken found in Vietnam!
In this recipe, boneless chicken strips are coated in batter, deep-fried, and tossed in a fiery sauce with subtle undertones of sweetness. Though, I’ve also seen this dish being served as boneless chicken chunks and cubed bell pepper instead of strips. Each restaurant lends its own spin on this recipe!
Why is it called dragon chicken then you ask? Honestly, I don’t have an appropriate answer, but I feel it may have gotten its name due to the fiery red color and/or spicy taste of the dish. If you know anything about its origin, I’d love to hear it!
Why you will love this recipe?
You will love this dragon chicken recipe because;
☑ Not only does it look appetizing but it also tastes so delicious
☑ It is brimming with zesty and spicy flavors with a hint of sweetness
☑ It is a quick recipe making it ideal for busy weeknights
☑ Better than take-out!
☑ Does not contain MSG
Ingredients needed
Chicken: It is best to use boneless meat for dishes like these. I’ve used boneless chicken breasts. But feel free to use chicken thighs or tenders as well.
For the chicken marinade: You will need all-purpose flour, cornflour, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, Kashmiri chili powder (for color sans the heat), ginger garlic paste, salt, pepper powder, and one egg white. Use only the egg white as it creates a crispier coating and helps keep the chicken tender and moist.
Dragon sauce: The sauce is an amalgam of basic sauces such as soy sauce (I prefer to use light soy sauce), tomato ketchup, sambal oelek, and rice vinegar. You will also need some, salt, pepper, a tiny bit of sugar, and cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
Aromatics: Freshly minced ginger, garlic, and sliced onions form the flavor base of this dish.
Vegetables: Sliced red and green bell peppers.
Cashew nuts: Cashew nuts are usually added to this recipe, and I love the crunch and a hint of sweet nutty flavor they impart to the dish. It just complements the chicken really well. You may skip it if you wish to.
Cooking fat: I’ve used vegetable oil.
Other ingredients: Besides the above, you will also need some dried red chilies (any kind), and spring (scallion) onion greens.
How to make restaurant-style dragon chicken – Step by step process
Step 1: Marinate the chicken
In a large bowl, add 300 grams of chicken pieces. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt, black pepper, 1teaspoon each of Kashmiri chili powder, vinegar, light soy sauce, and ginger-garlic paste. Mix well. (Photos 1 to 7)
Next, add one egg white and mix until all the chicken pieces are well coated. (Photos 8 and 9)
Add 2 tablespoons each of all-purpose flour and cornflour. Mix well, cover the bowl and set aside for 15-20 minutes or overnight in the fridge. (Photos 10 to 13)
Step 2: Fry the chicken pieces
Note: If you have marinated the chicken overnight, take it out from the fridge and bring it to room temperature before frying.
Heat about 1 cup of oil in a heavy-bottomed wok over medium heat.
Slide in the chicken pieces in batches, and leave undisturbed for a few seconds. Deep fry on medium heat, turning a couple of times with the help of a slotted spoon until they turn golden brown and crispy on both sides. Cook time will depend on the thickness of the chicken pieces. (Photos 14 to 17)
Set aside on an absorbent napkin. (Photo 19)
Step 3: Dragon chicken sauce
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of sambal oelek, 2 tablespoons of tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Mix well and set aside. (Photos 20 to 25)
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat, add 1/4 cup raw cashew nuts, saute until golden brown and set aside. (Photos 26 to 29)
Next, add 1 tablespoon each of minced ginger and garlic and 2 to 3 dried red chiles (broken in halves), sauté until ginger-garlic are fragrant. (Photos 30 and 31)
Add 1/2 cup of sliced onion, 1/4 cup each of red and green bell peppers, sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. (Photos 32 and 33)
Add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to season the veggies. (Photos 34 and 35)
Add in the sauce mixture. Mix well, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until it begins to bubble. (Photos 36 and 37)
Now add the cornflour slurry (2 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup cold water). Give the slurry a good stir before pouring and continue mixing until it thickens up. (Photos 38 to 40)
Step 4: Toss fried chicken with the sauce
Add in the fried chicken pieces along with the roasted cashew nuts, and toss to coat with the sauce. (Photos 41 and 42)
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons scallion greens, mix and switch off the heat. Serve immediately. (Photos 43 and 44)
Serving suggestions
Serve dragon chicken as a starter along with your favorite beverage to wash it down!
It also pairs well with this vegetable fried rice, Thai basil fried rice, or this chili garlic hakka noodles.
Storage suggestions
This spicy dragon chicken dish tastes best as soon as it is prepared. If kept for longer the chicken will get soggy. Also, the cashews will not be as crunchy. So enjoy it immediately after the chicken and cashews are tossed with the sauce!
Leftovers: Ideally leftovers must be refrigerated within 2 hours of their preparation for food safety as per the FDA. Allow leftovers to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheat: To reheat, transfer the chicken to a skillet or wok, and stir-fry on medium heat until piping hot. Add a splash of water if it looks too dry.
Recipe tips
Oil temperature: Make sure that the oil is not too hot, or the exterior will brown quickly and the chicken will remain raw on the inside. The ideal temperature for deep frying is between 350° to 375° F
Avoid overcrowding the wok: Deep fry the chicken in batches. Overcrowding the wok will reduce the temperature of the oil, and the chicken will absorb more oil and turn out greasy.
Spicy: This recipe is not super spicy, even my kids enjoy it! If you’d like to tone down the heat, then reduce the sambal oelek or any other chili sauce to 1 tablespoon. If you prefer it spicy, then increase the sambal oelek/red chili sauce to a couple more tablespoons. Less is the way to go if you are unsure about the heat tolerance of this recipe.
Sugar: You can replace the sugar with other sweeteners of your choice. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, you can most certainly increase the quantity of the sweetener.
Sodium content: I prefer using low sodium soy sauce. Also, it does not mar the vibrant red color of the dragon sauce as much as the dark soy sauce does. Add salt and pepper to taste!
Variations
Make it a main dish: Dragon chicken is usually served as a starter, but you could convert it into a main dish. To do that, add about 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch/cornflour to 1 cup of water or chicken stock, add this cornstarch slurry to make a thick gravy.
Seafood: You can swap the chicken with prawns/shrimps or any firm white fish.
More vegetables: You can increase the quantity of bell peppers if you like. You can also add other veggies such as broccoli, carrots, green beans, asparagus, snow peas, snap peas, etc.
Other nuts: You can replace cashew nuts with almonds or even peanuts.
Baked version: For a healthier version, you can bake the chicken pieces instead of deep-frying. To do that, place the marinated chicken strips on a greased wire rack over a baking tray or sheet. Bake at 400° F or 200° C for 15 to 20 minutes (baking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken pieces, so keep an eye out). The internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer must be 165° F. You can refer to this baked chicken 65 post for a pictorial on the baking steps.
Shallow fry: If deep frying intimidates you, skip it and shallow fry instead. Works just as well.
Gluten-free: Swap the all-purpose flour with rice flour. Cornflour or cornstarch is gluten-free, but make sure to read the food labels to know about any allergen advisory statements. Swap the soy sauce with coconut aminos.
Corn-free diet: Swap the cornstarch or cornflour with potato starch or tapioca starch.
Sesame seeds: You could sprinkle some sesame seeds to garnish the dish.
You may also enjoy these Indo-Chinese recipes
★ If you try this crispy dragon chicken recipe, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Thanks so much 🙂
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Dragon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the batter
- 300 grams chicken thighs/breast
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- Salt to taste, I added 1/4 teaspoon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg white
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil plus more oil as needed for deep frying
- 1/4 cup cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 2 to 3 dry red chillies
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper strips
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper strips
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek or any other chili sauce, refer notes
- 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce or 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste, I added 1/4 teaspoon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped scallion greens
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a large bowl, add chicken pieces. Season with salt, black pepper, Kashmiri chili powder, vinegar, light soy sauce, and ginger garlic paste. Mix well.
- Next, add an egg white and mix until all the chicken pieces are well coated.
- Add all-purpose flour and cornflour. Mix well, cover the bowl and set aside for 15-20 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
Fry the chicken pieces
- Note: If you have marinated the chicken overnight, take it out from the fridge and bring it to room temperature before frying.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed wok over medium heat.
- Slide in the chicken pieces in batches, and leave undisturbed for a few seconds. Deep fry on medium heat, turning a couple of times with the help of slotted spoon, until they turn golden brown and crispy on both sides. Cook time will depend on the thickness of the chicken pieces.
- Set aside on an absorbent napkin.
Dragon chicken sauce
- In a small bowl, combine sambal oelek, tomato ketchup, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat, add cashew nuts, saute until golden brown and set aside.
- Next, add minced ginger-garlic and broken dried red chiles, sauté until ginger-garlic are fragrant.
- Add sliced onion, red and green bell peppers, sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to season the veggies.
- Add in the sauce mixture. Mix well, cook for 1-2 minutes or until it begins to bubble.
- Now add the cornflour slurry. Give the slurry a good stir before pouring and continue mixing until it thickens up.
Toss fried chicken with the sauce
- Add in the fried chicken pieces along with the roasted cashew nuts, toss to coat with the sauce.
- Add in the scallion greens, mix and switch off the heat. Serve immediately.
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